Home ⎪ Events ⎪ Health ⎪ Freedom ⎪ Beauty

Mindfulness Training from the Perspective of Anthroposophically Extended Medicine.

This study provided deep insights into the effects of the ABSR course. Participants reported positive effects on all levels – physical, emotional, and mental. The effects varied, but overall the course was perceived as stress-reducing. A key influencing factor was the quality of the course leadership, which boosted participants' motivation. However, it remains unclear how the different components of the course interact and how sustainable the exercises are.

Yobina Ko, Conclusions, Page 2

The master's thesis was submitted to the Institute of Complementary and Integrative Medicine IKIM at the University of Bern and can be requested there.

Summary of the Discussion (Theodor Hundhammer, Eurythmy4you)

With seven participants of two ABSR courses in 2022, qualitative interviews were conducted to explore the effect of ABSR courses on the physical, emotional, and mental levels. The interviews showed that all participants experienced an impact on almost every level.

Where do these effects come from?

• From eurythmy?
• The daily exercises?
• The course leadership?
• Or from their combination?

In some cases, participants were able to specify which exercises they felt were responsible for the effects. For instance, cognitive effects were exclusively attributed to the daily exercises, with no mention of eurythmy exercises in this context.

Interaction of the exercises

It is conceivable that, in addition to the daily exercises, the stress reduction reported by four participants could have an effect on memory and thinking. Being calmer and more relaxed might enhance one’s capacity to absorb information.

Another example is the thinking in reverse order exercise. One participant reported that it helped her to let go more easily, which was interpreted as an emotional effect. This letting go also helped her sleep better, which in turn represents a physical effect.

However, on the spiritual and physical levels, no specific exercise or part of the course was often named. Therefore, it is difficult to determine whether these effects stem from eurythmy, the daily exercises, or their combination.

Relationship to spirituality

An open question remains whether spiritual effects would also manifest in people who had no prior connection to spirituality. All the participants had some contact with spirituality before the ABSR course and were thus open to it. It is possible that this openness is necessary to experience effects on a spiritual level.

Familiarity with eurythmy

It is also noteworthy that all participants had been familiar with and practising eurythmy for at least a year, often much longer. It would be interesting to investigate how someone without eurythmy experience would perceive this course.

Course leadership

The influence of the course leadership should not be underestimated. All the participants from the German-speaking course found it to be excellent, which significantly increased their motivation to do the exercises. In the English-speaking group, the course leadership was mentioned positively only once.

The fact that live meetings were frequently cited as a central part of the course also suggests that strong leadership greatly enhances participants' ability to absorb and understand the course content, possibly influencing the overall effects of the course.

The mere fact that the course was guided and that weekly meetings were held is a relevant factor. This structure provides participants with motivation and, to some extent, the pressure to diligently complete the exercises, as there is an expectation to present progress at the meetings.

Limitations of this study

The number of interviews conducted is too small to generalise the results. Of the 25 participants, only seven agreed to an interview. It is possible that those who particularly enjoyed the course were more inclined to participate, which could lead to a bias in the results.

The participants’ backgrounds regarding their prior experience with the ABSR course were also varied.

The interviews were conducted one to two weeks after the course ended. Some participants mentioned that they were now practising the exercises less frequently, as they require effort and time. On the one hand, this could suggest that participants need a break after eight intensive weeks before continuing with the exercises that were most helpful to them. On the other hand, it was mentioned that some exercises, particularly the daily ones, had already been integrated into their routines.